WRU leads player welfare initiative

The Welsh Rugby Union's commitment to player welfare has seen all medical practitioners working within professional rugby take part in the second 'WRU Immediate Care in Rugby' (WRU ICIR) course.

Designed to improve pitch-side medical care for players, the initiative is fully endorsed and funded by the WRU and ensures medical teams across all Wales' national sides, the four Welsh Regions and other sports in Wales share the same level of training.

The inaugural event took place last year and those participants, made up of doctors and physiotherapists working within rugby, returned to the Millennium Stadium this week to take part in their refresher course.

An additional two day starter course also saw the introduction of numerous medical personnel from the Principality Premiership join the WRU in the training.
The course has been designed to deliver and consolidate all pre-hospital skills required to manage the plethora of medical scenarios that face medical teams within the sport.

WRU National Medical Manager, Prav Mathema said: "The WRU Immediate Care in Rugby course has reinforced the WRU's commitment to player welfare and seen participants working together in interactive sessions to raise the standard of medical care within the sport.

"The course was developed off the back of the 2010 WRU medical review and following last year's inaugural event it has been opened up to other sports in Wales.

"We are very fortunate to have Andy Smith on board as Programme Director. He is regarded as a subject expert in the field of pre-hospital trauma management in sport and his expertise and experience has been invaluable in delivering our course."

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